The North News
New Delhi, February 6
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday criticized the Congress party for its alleged disdain towards Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, accusing it of rejecting his suggestions and undermining his contributions to India’s constitutional framework. Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Modi claimed that Congress had shown so much anger towards Ambedkar that it worked to defeat him in elections twice.
The Prime Minister said that despite repeated demands by OBC MPs for constitutional recognition of the OBC Commission, Congress rejected these requests, likely for political reasons. He further accused Congress of disregarding the constitutional sentiments of Ambedkar, pointing out that the party had initially denied him the Bharat Ratna.
Modi emphasized that the respect for Constitution makers should have been the guiding principle for the country post-independence, but Congress, he claimed, had disregarded their work after independence. He also accused Congress of suppressing freedom of speech and imposing restrictions on the press, actions he argued betrayed the spirit of the Constitution.
The Prime Minister also made a broader statement on the governance philosophy of his party, asserting that the government is moving forward inspired by the Constitution’s framers. He addressed concerns around the Uniform Civil Code, stating that the government was merely adhering to the Constitution’s principles, which he claimed Congress had disregarded in its early years.
The country has witnessed the dark days of the Emergency, where the Constitution was undermined, and its spirit trampled in the pursuit of power. During this time, renowned actor Dev Anand was asked to publicly support the Emergency, but he refused. Consequently, all of Dev Anand’s films were banned on Doordarshan.
Kishore Kumar refused to sing for the Congress, and as a result, all his songs were banned on All India Radio. During the Emergency, many prominent figures, including George Fernandes, were shackled and imprisoned. Members of Parliament and other leaders were similarly confined in chains.
Prominent actors like Balraj Sahni, along with poets, were imprisoned for protesting against the Congress government. Hridaynath Mangeshkar, brother of Lata Mangeshkar, wrote a poem on Veer Savarkar and intended to perform it on Akashvani, but he was banned for life from the platform.
In addition, Modi highlighted his government’s efforts to prioritize the development of villages, especially those located near the border, which he said had been neglected for decades under previous administrations.
